Gensler Offices – Miami
Gensler completed a dynamic workspace with ample natural light and a variety of options for productivity at their offices in Miami, Florida.
Above the vibrant bustle of the Wynwood neighborhood, Gensler is designing a workspace to retreat, reflect, and create.
Gensler’s Miami office is relocating from the business district on Brickell to the creative, art-centric neighborhood of Wynwood. The new office design palette includes light teak wood, soft whites and beiges, and a multitude of biophilia throughout the space; purposely calming in juxtaposition with the bright, vibrant colors of the neighborhood where Gensler Miami now calls home.
The new office serves as a living lab for the future design of corporate workplace. As we rethink workplace design post-COVID-19, the Miami office is being designed with scalable density and social distancing guidelines.
The reception area serves as the dedicated client space, partitioned from the rest of the office by two sheer curtains that allow visibility throughout the workspace while delineating public versus private space. The reception area also includes a biometric scanning space, isolation room, and restroom. On the other side of the reception is the alley, a hallway of meeting booths that can shared or used individually. Wooden partitions can be removed between single booths to create shared booth spaces. In the workspace, workstations can be configured for two-person to four-person workstation pods. The social hub also has flexible seating configurations to allow for scalability depending need to limit social distancing at any given time.
The reality of virtual interaction was already predominate in the workplace prior to COVID-19, and now more than ever, spaces need to better facilitate and remove obstacles from video calls. Even prior to COVID-19, individual and team calls could be unfortunate distractions in the office environment. With increased emphasis on the need to support virtual connection better than ever before, the design team was challenged with creating a variety of virtual meeting / call spaces ranging from semi to totally enclosed. While designing numerous nooks and crannies, factors such as lighting for optimal video, sound and acoustics, and privacy were all crucial drivers for the success of these spaces. Additionally, like so many other elements in the overall office design, flexibility is key. Demountable walls provide the Day One solution of sectioning off individual spaces and call rooms, while leaving room for truly post-pandemic Day Two options for removing barriers and expanding these spaces into huddle rooms or larger meeting rooms capable of accommodating multiple people.
Design: Gensler
Photography: Devon Banks
